Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Gratitude Jar

Classroom Gratitude Jar
Small vase with writing strips and pencil and a jar for collecting written gratitudes.

I keep forgetting to share this... A couple of months ago, after reading about it at Living Montessori Now, we started a classroom Gratitude Jar. It has fast become a treasured occasion when all of the 'gratitude papers' have been used up and placed in the jar! I showed the children how to take one strip of paper and the pencil to a teacher when they want to write down their gratitude. The child tells the teacher what they are thankful for and the teacher writes down the child's words. I especially appreciate how this simple activity is also a wonderful way to model writing! (The writers in the classroom can of course write their own gratidtudes...) Then, the child takes their paper, writes their name, rolls it up, drops it in the jar, and replaces the pencil back in the jar with paper strips. Once all the papers have been used, we gather at circle time to read them one at a time. These are just a few examples of recent gratitudes:

"I am thankful for my Mom and Dad."

"I am thankful for the works on the shelves."

"I feel grateful for my friends."

"I feel thankful for peace."

"I am thankful for my toy loader truck."

"I am thankful for the 100 Chain."

"I am thankful for my teachers."

"I feel grateful that I have a school like this to come to.""I am thankful for the birds."

Needless the say, it has been heartwarming to hear the children talking about feeling thankful and having "an attitude of gratitude."

And by the way, now I've found the perfect way to use up the papers, paintings, etc. that end up on the drying rack with no name - they make beautiful writing strips for our Gratitude Jar! :)

Not a "pure" Montessori activity, but definitely something all Montessorians try to cultivate in their classrooms! I got the idea from Living Montessori Now which some other great links if you click on my link in the post above. Enjoy!